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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. branch — a division
  5. scale — in music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — to grow
  8. band — a music group
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. band — a ring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com